Board moves toward paving project

While waiting for the final piece of funding to come in for its capital improvement project this year, Portland Municipal Airport is working toward future plans.

Portland Board of Aviation approved a contract with engineering firm Butler, Fairman & Seufert on Wednesday for the design of a runway rehabilitation project.

Plans call for milling, sealing cracks and paving the original 4,000 feet of the airport runway — its full length is 5,500 feet following its extension project — that was last paved in 1997. Jason Clearwaters of Butler, Fairman and Seufert said the pavement scored 54 out of 100 in 2022 and is expected to drop to a score of 40 by the time the rehabilitation project is planned for 2026.

Aviation board members Faron Parr, Clyde Bray, John Ferguson and Caleb Lutes approved the contract as well as an independent fee evaluation related to the agreement. They also approved submitting a grant application to the Federal Aviation Administration for the project. (The application is due by the end of the month.)

Clearwaters also updated the board on its planned apron extension project. He said he is working with contractor Kwest Group on a draft schedule. The expected start date will be in August with completion by the end of October.

He said the airport is still waiting to receive its funding from the 2021 federal infrastructure bill for the project.

The funding was announced in January but has not yet been distributed.

“The FAA, since the administration change, has written no grants,” Clearwaters said.

In other business, the board:

•Learned from Clearwaters that a runway safety area inventory was completed as requested by the FAA. No issues were found in the area around the airport’s runway and the inventory was sent to the FAA on March 28.

•Heard the following from Tavzel:

   —The airport sold 5,480 gallons of fuel in March for $23,137. That’s up from 4,777 gallons in March 2024.

   —New runway end lights were installed earlier Wednesday and are fully operational.

   —He presented to Portland Rotary Club on April 9, sharing information about the airport’s completed runway extension project and its planned apron expansion.

   —He is considering getting quotes for a small corporate hangar for the airport.

•Paid claims totaling $739.23.